His Heir, Her Secret - Chapter 25: Chapter 25

Lucien
I’ve stood in boardrooms where billions were on the line. I’ve sat across from men who would sell their own blood for a seat at my table. I’ve faced press ambushes, hostile takeovers, and global market crashes without blinking.
But this?
This was different.
Claiming Leo publicly meant peeling back layers I’d carefully built over a decade. It meant showing the world something real—something vulnerable. And it meant putting Isla, the woman I failed once, in the crosshairs of a ruthless media circus.
But after Caroline’s surprise visit, I realized something with unshakable clarity.
I couldn’t keep pretending we were a secret. I wouldn’t let my son be hidden to protect an empire I no longer cared about preserving in the same way.
So I made the call.
First, to Richard, my PR head.
“Lucien,” he answered with a groan. “It’s seven in the morning in London. What—”
“I want to hold a press conference.”
A pause. “Okay… What’s the announcement?”
“My son. Leo Hart.”
Another pause. Longer this time. “Lucien. Are you absolutely—”
“Yes.”
Richard cleared his throat. “Understood. Do you want to—”
“Full coverage. TV, digital, all of it. I’ll handle the statement myself.”
I hung up before he could talk me out of it.
I sat in the quiet of my study for a few moments. Leo’s small dinosaur toy rested on the edge of my desk. I ran my fingers over the plastic ridges.
A year ago, this room was just another power chamber. But now… it felt like part of a home.
And I was ready to fight for it.
—
Isla wasn’t happy when I told her.
“You’re announcing him? Like—on television?” she asked, disbelief edging into panic. “Lucien, do you know what that means?”
“I do,” I said gently, walking toward her. “It means we stop hiding. It means Leo doesn’t have to wonder why he’s never in a picture frame or why no one knows he’s mine.”
“But the world will come after him. After us.” She crossed her arms, pacing. “You saw Caroline—she’s just the beginning. What about your enemies? What about the press? They’ll dissect every part of my life—our past—”
“They’ll try,” I said, taking her hand. “But they’ll never get close enough to hurt you. I won’t let them.”
“You can’t control everything, Lucien.”
“I know. But I can control this narrative. I can make sure the first time they hear Leo’s name, it’s from me. Not a leak. Not a scandal. Not a smear campaign.”
She hesitated, eyes searching mine.
“Do you trust me?” I asked quietly.
Her breath caught, and she nodded slowly. “I do. But Lucien… this changes everything.”
“I know,” I said. “And I want it to.”
—
The day of the press conference felt like stepping into a storm I’d once ruled.
The venue was sleek, minimal—just the way I liked it. Cameras were lined up in rows. Journalists whispered behind glossy phones and expensive coffee cups. Some wore smug smirks, already assuming this was about a merger or acquisition. Something safe. Corporate.
They had no idea what was coming.
I stood behind the podium, adjusted the mic, and looked directly into the crowd.
“I’m Lucien Vale,” I began. “CEO of Vale International. Many of you know me as a businessman. A strategist. A figure in your headlines.”
Click. Click. Click. The camera shutters sounded like lightning strikes.
“But today, I’m not here as any of those things. Today, I stand before you as something else entirely.”
I paused. Let them feel the shift.
“I’m here as a father.”
There it was.
The room erupted—shouts, flashes, chaos. I waited for it to crest like a wave. Then I continued.
“My son’s name is Leo Hart. He is four years old. He is bright, kind, and braver than most men I’ve met. He didn’t choose this spotlight—but he deserves to be claimed. To be protected. To be known.”
A hush fell over the room again.
“I’m telling you this not for profit, nor press, nor image. But because I will no longer hide the most important part of my life.”
I glanced at the camera lens, knowing Isla was watching from the safety of the penthouse.
“To Leo, if you’re seeing this—I’m proud of you. I always have been. And to anyone who believes my position, my money, or my past makes me unfit to be his father—I suggest you watch how fiercely I defend what’s mine.”
That was the end of the speech. No questions.
I walked off the stage, heart hammering harder than any deal had ever made it beat.
Richard met me backstage, white as paper. “You just broke the internet.”
“Good.”
He shook his head. “Do you have any idea what you’ve started?”
“Yes,” I said. “A future.”
—
I returned home that evening unsure what I’d find—anger, panic, maybe even regret.
But when the door opened, I saw Isla sitting on the floor with Leo in her lap. The television played muted reruns in the background. Her eyes were red—but she was smiling.
“You meant it,” she said softly.
I nodded. “Every word.”
She stood and walked toward me, pausing in front of me like she was seeing me for the first time.
“You didn’t just tell the world who he is. You told him who you are.”
I exhaled, reaching for her. “I’ve spent years building walls. This… this was me tearing them down.”
She leaned into my touch. “Then maybe we build something new. Together.”
Leo ran up and grabbed my leg, grinning. “Daddy, you were on TV!”
I lifted him and kissed his forehead. “Yeah, buddy. I wanted everyone to know who my favorite person is.”
He giggled and wrapped his arms around my neck.
In that moment, I didn’t care about press fallout or market reactions. I didn’t care what Caroline would do next or what headlines tomorrow would bring.
Because for the first time, I wasn’t hiding behind my empire.
I was standing beside my family.
And nothing had ever felt more powerful.